T&T U17 Girls ended their Central American tour with a come from behind 3-2 win over Concacaf U17 girls tournament host Nicaragua. T&T came from behind twice with a double from USA based striker Cayla McFarlane and the eventual winner from Afiyah Cornwall.
In the first of the two match series, T& T drew 1-1 with Nicaragua with a goal from Cayla McFarlane. Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz praised the efforts of the players on the trip but was not totally satisfied.
“The Girls showed grit and determination but we have not yet developed a team that has the confidence to put the ball down against a tough opponent.” He concluded, “ These two matches have certainly answered some questions for us going into the tournament and we would have to improve drastically in ball possession.”
National captain Kara Trotman credited T&T’s mens senior team win over USA as an impetus for their hard fought victory over Nicaragua.
“The Coach had us watch the T&T / USA match on tv at the hotel and we made a lot of noise for the team.
“When we saw how those guys played their hearts out it made us think that we need to start digging deeper when it comes to getting a result.
“T&T beating USA was a huge inspiration for us. Coach Shabazz told us what we felt inside when T&T won is what our people home and abroad when we win, added Trotman. T& T were enroute yesterday to Haiti via Panama for the Concacaf CFU Under 17 Girls Finals where they are grouped with Bermuda and Jamaica. The Tournament runs from 16-23 October 2017.